China has officially reopened its market for Brazilian poultry exports this week, maintaining restrictions only on protein from the State of Rio Grande do Sul. Shipments to China, which is the main importer of Brazilian chicken, had been suspended since July 17, when an outbreak of Newcastle disease was identified in Anta Gorda (RS).
A letter sent by the Chinese authorities to the Brazilian embassy in Beijing lifts the voluntary suspension of poultry exports as of August 12. However, production from Rio Grande do Sul will remain embargoed.
The Brazilian government is continuing negotiations to resume sales from the state, said the Secretary of Trade and International Relations of the Ministry of Agriculture, Roberto Perosa.
Throughout Brazil, more than 50 plants have been authorized to resume exports to China.
The General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) also stated that products to be sent to the Asian country must come “from birds in areas free of Newcastle disease.” Thus, animals from Rio Grande do Sul slaughtered in plants in the state of Santa Catarina will not be accepted.
According to the Brazilian Association of Animal Protein (ABPA), China is the main destination for Brazil’s poultry exports. Between January and July of this year, the country imported 337.2 thousand tons of the product, generating revenue of USD 745.6 million. In July alone, shipments reached 61 thousand tons, with revenue of USD 144.6 million.
The association states that despite the suspension, the impact on export flows was low, as there was a temporary redirection of shipments to other markets demanding the same products that are sent to China. Now, only Argentina maintains an embargo on poultry exports from all of Brazil.